Apr 21, 2022 | Non categorizzato
The Gospel speaks of God’s love. Sowing seeds that carry this proclamation and choosing to live it out is an expression of the beautiful, fruitful freedom we have been given. Condominium meeting When notice of the condominium meeting arrived, my first thought was to find an excuse and avoid this commitment. My youngest son, hearing me complain about these meetings that I thought were useless, objected. “But Dad, it’s an opportunity to make the whole building a family!” I hadn’t thought of that. But how could I turn that meeting into something beautiful and new? With the help of everyone in the house, we came up with a guessing game for the tenants’ names, their number of children, type of work… Then we made a plan to set up visits and dinners, plus a list of birthdays and other celebrations. The more ideas came up, the more I looked forward to the meeting. And it was a real party. My wife had prepared sweets, the children had prepared cards to set up visits, and our daughter, who was good at drawing, had prepared diplomas and prizes for the winners. Never had the condominium meeting seemed so short as that evening. A different air was beginning to circulate in the building. M., Italy Dolls After Dad’s death, thinking that Mom could no longer live alone, the question went around us children: “Will we be forced to put Mom in a nursing home?” My family lives in an apartment that is too small to house her. But my wife and I decided to trust in God’s providence, and with this in mind we rented for Mom the apartment next to ours, which in the meantime had become available. It seemed like a gamble, but the arrival of our kids’ grandmother enriched their lives and ours. She was very good at making fabric dolls and started giving them as gifts to those who had children. Then a person from the parish saw this and appreciated them, setting up a market where she could sell them along with other sewing items. Today, Mom’s home has become a small craft centre and a school for those with free time. We are happy to see her joyful and practically rejuvenated in feeling useful. H., France The wallet I was visiting my mother in the small town where she lives. I don’t know why, but before passing by, I felt the urge to have a cappuccino at the bar. Spotting a wallet on the floor in front of the cashier, I asked the cashier whose it was. She questioned the customers present, but the wallet did not belong to any of them. Upon examining the contents, the owner’s name was an acquaintance of my mother’s, so through her I could get it to him. The cashier knew my mother, so she trusted me with the wallet. Not far from the bar I saw the owner. I greeted him, we exchanged a few words and then I asked him if he had his wallet with him. When he realized he didn’t have it, I showed it to him. When I left him, he couldn’t stop thanking me. Later, thinking back to that sudden urge to stop by the bar, I realized that sometimes, unknowingly, we become instruments for doing good. M., Slovakia
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
From “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, year VIII, n.2, March–April 2022.
Apr 20, 2022 | Non categorizzato
The “Chiara Lubich” Home for the Elderly in the Peruvian Amazon is celebrating its first anniversary. The centre takes care of about fifty abandoned elderly people. “It is our contribution to peace”, say those who support them. 
Just when the Covid-19 crisis was at its worst, the “Chiara Lubich Centre for the Elderly” in the Peruvian Amazon jungle opened its doors on 8 March 2021– after many years the great dream had finally become a reality. “Right from the start, everything arrived as a gift with simplicity,” says Jenny López Arévalo, President of the Centre, “the house, the dishes, the ingredients for lunch for almost 50 elderly people, the chairs, tables, mattresses, sheets… To our surprise, each thing arrived and took its place”. The centre is located in Lámud, an Amazonian town in northwest Peru, 2,330 metres above sea level. A few kilometres away is the little town of Kuelap, an important pre-Inca archaeological site from the Chachapoyas culture. “Teamwork was really important. The volunteers really gave their all,” said Jenny López Arévalo, “There were difficulties but we managed to overcome them by concentrating on living well in the present moment. The months flew by and before we knew it we were celebrating our first anniversary. How exciting! We decided to organise a two-day event with a programme open to the public, involving local institutions, the press and social networks. It was a simple way to thank God and everyone. On the first day, we planned a walk in nature, outside the city, followed by games and dancing. We shared a delicious coffee with tamales (a corn-bashed dish) and sandwiches. We were surprised and excited to see how many people joined us, besides the volunteers – adults and children – to help look after the elderly. It was lovely to see our logo with Chiara Lubich’s face fluttering in the wind. The next day, we began with the Eucharist which was followed with a town festival full of colours, music and traditional dances, just after the national flag in honour of our country was raised by the elderly people. The day finished with a toast with the local authorities present and more traditional dances!” “Many friends from different parts of the world joined us in prayer,” said Javier Varela who acts as administrator for the Centre, “and much of the food we offered arrived as a gift. The elderly were so happy, they really enjoyed the day and, despite being a little tired, we shared their joy. We feel encouraged and strengthened to continue working to make our contribution to peace by taking care of the abandoned elderly who have already become part of our lives”. So one year on, the “Chiara Lubich Centre for the Elderly” is more than just a “Centre”. It is a real “family” that carries out this delicate and important work for the benefit of the least. It is a simple way of sowing seeds of peace every day right there where we live.
Gustavo E. Clariá
Apr 18, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Jesus is risen! And he entrusted to us to be witnesses of his living presence among us that would transform society. It’s an invitation to be bearers of the proclamation of the Good News in the environments where we live. Jesus told us that he would be present where two or more are united in his name?[1] Allowing the risen Lord to live in us and in our midst therefore is the secret, the most concrete way to bring about the kingdom of God. It is the kingdom of God in action. … These words are a mandate that Jesus left, not only for his apostles, but for the whole Church and for each one of us. The task of the Church is to witness to the risen Lord, not only by proclaiming him – as his ministers are called to do – but also and above all through the life of each of us who are its members. Witnessing to the Risen Lord means showing the world that Jesus is the living God, and this will be possible if the world sees that Jesus is alive in us. If we live his Word and reject the inclinations of our ‘old self’[2], and if, above all, we keep love for our neighbor alive in our hearts, then the risen Lord will live in us. If we make a special effort to maintain mutual love among us, the risen Lord will live in us and in our midst, and will radiate his light and grace around us, transforming our surroundings and producing incalculable fruits. It will be the risen Lord, through his Spirit, who will guide our steps and our activities. He will be the one who will arrange circumstances and provide us with opportunities to bring his life to those who need him. … We must not underestimate the projects for which we still have to plan, and the technological advances that are offering us new ways to proclaim the Gospel, but there is one thing above all that we must do: we must be his witnesses by allowing the Risen Lord to live in us.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, in [Words of Life], Città Nuova,2017, pages 315/8 [1] See Mt 18:20. [2] See Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:9-10.
Apr 14, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Easter greetings from Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement https://youtu.be/AYrr6xg1XmI 
Apr 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Emergency Committee of the Focolare Movement has promoted a fundraising campaign to support the people affected.
In this video, Mira, a Slovenian focolarina who lives in Ukraine and works for Caritas-Spes, tells us what is happening, the actions we are carrying out and the aid we are providing, thanks to the contributions of all of you.
https://youtu.be/qLrk8JR78ms
To contribute to the fund of the Emergency Committee of the Focolare Movement, you can donate to the following:
Azione per un Mondo Unito ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 presso Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Azione per Famiglie Nuove ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 presso Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Causes: Emergenza Ucraina
Apr 12, 2022 | Non categorizzato
The Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University (Rome) and professor of International Law, affirms that there is not and cannot be a ‘just’ war. Nothing can justify an armed conflict. Peace is something we must build individually and together. We must keep our hearts open to the whole world; not forget any conflict and act to make our contribution to peace at all levels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsnUiPDPII8
